


Build A Bridge, Watch Me Fall

by latenightamateur



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bartender Keith (Voltron), Depression, Fluff, Gay Keith (Voltron), Insecure Lance (Voltron), M/M, Marijuana, Recreational Drug Use, Some Fluff, Strangers to Lovers, Suicide Attempt, this was going to be really really sad but i changed my mind sorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-24
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-04 07:56:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10986717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/latenightamateur/pseuds/latenightamateur
Summary: A messy breakup and an existential break down bring Lance to his current status: staring down the water beneath a bridge.





	1. Chamomile Tea

**Author's Note:**

> So this is probably going to take me a long time to write considering I'm not sure how long I want this to be so lets just see where this goes. This is mostly Lance-centric and is kind of my take on suicide i guess? Anyway I hope you enjoy it and if theres anything I miss in the tags that could highly offend or trigger someone PLEASE let me know!

The wind comes in many different forms. 

It flows through the curtains of an empty apartment. It drifts down the side of mountain ranges. It whips against the side of a car tearing its way down the highway. It blows the leaves off a tree in a meadow. It lifts the spray of the oceans into a beach goers face. 

And it flows through a person’s hair as they stand on a bridge hundreds of feet above water. 

Lance McClain experienced the latter on July 15th at the golden gate bridge in San Francisco, California. 

The cars buzzed by on the road just behind him. He could feel the air pushed aside from each larger vehicle. The harsher breeze from being so high elevated. The city lights were a pleasing sight to see from a distance. Few people present yet so much life at 4:45am. People meeting friends in bars. Lovers lay together in bed all around the city. Club goers wander the streets in search for a next destination. So much life.

The water down below looked cold but welcoming. Lance was wearing his green jacket with the orange striped around the biceps. His favorite of course. His blue jeans that he hadn’t washed in a few days. His white and blue baseball tee. And of course a pair of his favorite sneakers. It made the most sense to do this in his favorite clothes. 

The wind picked up around him causing his jacket to flow a bit. It felt like a breath of life, a sign the world wanted to give him a chance. He didn’t listen. 

One more deep breath till take off. 

_One... ___  
_Two..._  
_Three…  
_A deep Inhale and-__

_____ _

_____ _

__

__

“Excuse me?”

He thought no one would come by at this time in the morning. What was this guy doing out here?

“Dude are you alright? Come down for a second, please.”

Lance stepped down, instantly regretting said decision. 

“Look. I’m not going to tell you not to jump. I’m not going to tell you that you have so much to live for because I don’t know your life. Things might be complete crap for you right now and me coming up to you to talk you down isn’t really my place.”

_Damn right it isn’t._

“However, you’ve been standing there for a few minutes staring at the water and the view. So I was wondering if you’d come back to my place so I could make you some tea. You don’t have to talk about why you’re here, but I’d like to know. How does that sound?”

Lance just responded with a slight nod and a step closer to the stranger. 

“Cool. I’m Keith by the way. My Apartment is a couple of blocks off the bridge. You okay with walking a little ways?” 

Another nod. 

“Sweet. Follow me then I guess.” Keith started off toward the end of the bridge that led back to the city. Lance followed closely behind with his head still slightly hung. 

Once off the bridge the city was loud. More cars passing by, more people walking around, more bass from nearby buildings. Every few meters Keith would glance back at Lance to see if he was still following. Keith looked as though he wouldn’t really be surprised if Lance just turned around and left at any moment. Lance couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away from the cold concrete beneath his worn shoes. His feet were shuffling along, kicking loose pebbles along the ground, stray pieces torn up from the asphalt streets. He glanced up to figure out where exactly it was that they were going. This didn’t help much considering every building they passed looked the same to his numbed brain. 

They approached a regular sized apartment complex. It was a little run down, probably from age judging by the slightly older design on the outside. The walls were sun bleached gray. Or was it white? It was too dark to tell and the street lamps weren’t exactly a trustworthy light source. 

“This is it.” Keith fit the key he had in his pocket into the lock and jammed at the door with what might have been ease. Judging by the door frame it most likely got stuck like that often. They climbed up a steep stairwell until what might have been the third floor. It was kind of hard to tell considering how late it was and how steep the climb had been. 

Keith led the way down a hall until he stopped at room 3E. He slid a different key into the lock and turned until a small click could be made out. This door slid open with no resistance. He reached over and flicked a small switch on which illuminated a medium sized lamp in the corner of the room. Lance could make out a sofa with a small coffee table in front of it in what he guessed was the living room. There was a regular sized TV on the wall with a few wires sticking out from behind it. Off to the right side of the room was a bar with a few stools by it. Next to that was a doorway which led to a small kitchen. The living room walls were a simple off white and the kitchen was a tint lighter than sky blue. 

“You can have a seat at the bar if you want. I’ll start the water for some tea.”

Lance nodded once more and walked over to take a seat at said bar. The silence that followed wasn’t awkward per se. It was more serious. Almost intimidating. Even if he had the voice to break it he would be too scared. There was nothing to say anyway. Keith filled up two mugs with water after he placed a chamomile bag in each. He walked over and set one in front of Lance. The mug had a little cartoon cat with it’s own cup of coffee on it. 

“So… Are you willing to tell me your name now that I have you here with a cup of tea?” Keith sounded unsure, but his face portrayed a blank stare. 

“Lance.” His voice was raw. As he looked down into the cup he could see his reflection. When had he started crying? Who knows. He looked like a mess anyway. 

“Well then, Lance, do you have somewhere to stay?”

Lance shook his head no. “I was staying with someone,” a small hiccup, ”But things didn’t work out so I’ve been out for a couple days.” It was pathetic. He couldn’t even get out a sentence without sounded like he was going to burst into tears. He probably would have if he had any left. 

“Okay. You’re going to stay here tonight then. The couch pulls out into a bed so you won’t have to worry about getting a nasty neck pain.”

Lance’s eyes widened. “Oh. No, you really don’t need to you’ve already made me tea I-I couldn’t stay here and intrude on you,” another hiccup, “ I-I’m so grateful for what you’ve already done.”

Keith let out a small chuckle. “Lance, you don’t have anywhere else to go. You’re not intruding. I live alone. I’m going to get a couple blankets and pillows. You sit there and drink your tea. I’ll be right back.” With that said he walked out and down a hallway that probably led to a bathroom and bedroom.

Lance just sat there a bit stunned. He drank his tea slowly as it started to cool off. Within a couple minutes Keith returned with an armful of pillows and blankets. He pulled out the sofa bed after sliding the coffee table to the side. Lance set his cup into the sink and walked over to where Keith was. After setting up the blankets and pillows Keith looked to Lance with a small smile. 

“I’m gonna head to bed. I’m the last door down the hall so if you need anything don’t hesitate to let me know. The bathroom is first door on the right. Try to get some sleep, please, you look exhausted.” With that he turned and headed for the hallway. Before entering he turned to look over his shoulder. “Night, Lance.” Then he continued down the hall. 

Lance crawled into the bed after removing his shoes and jacket. With the lamp still on in the corner, he curled up under the blankets and rubbed his face. As his eyes drifted shut, his last coherent thought was about how he hadn’t realized he had stopped crying after having the tea.


	2. Refrain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay chapter 2! As I said before this is going to have random updates. So subscribe if you want to be notified of when I update!

Lance awoke to the sound of a spoon clinking against a mug. He sat up, squinting in the direction of the kitchen for the source of the noise. He saw Keith leaning against a kitchen counter stirring what he assumed was coffee in a mug. This one had a little alien face on it. 

"Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to wake you up. You can go back to sleep." Lance didn't even realize he'd zoned out until Keith spoke. 

"It's fine I usually wake pretty early." Getting about three to four hours of sleep a night was a regular thing for Lance. "What time is it?"

Keith leaned over to check the stove clock. "About eight-thirty. You want some coffee?"

"Sure." As Keith turned around to get another cup of coffee, Lance got up and headed to the bathroom. The hallway walls were empty. No pictures of family. No photos with friends. No posters or frames. Just more empty white canvas. 

Looking in the mirror was a harder thing to do in the morning now. As he stared at his reflection he saw his hair at odd angles. Dark circles under his eyes and the remnants of tear tracks down his cheeks. He could see some old white lines on his arms from a year ago. 

He tried so hard to get better. Nothing ever seemed to work. Eventually Lance saw no point in red lines on his arms. The pain he wanted to relieve was in his heart. An ache in his body. There was no point in destroying his body more if he wasn't going through with it all the way. He tried to stick around for as long as he could. He wanted to be better. For them. But then of course they drop him. Spit on him like he leaves a bad taste in their mouth. He couldn't really blame them at this point. He left a bad taste in his own mouth. 

So the scars were there but they weren't new. Just from a time where he tried to avoid situations like the night before. 

 

After cleaning his face and using the restroom he walked back out to the living room. Keith was sat at the bar sipping his cooled off coffee. On the counter next to him was a mug of coffee left for Lance. He walked over and sat down at the bar with a chair between him and Keith. His coffee had cooled so he took a few sips. This mug had a single word on it in cursive. Refrain. 

“So, Lance. Why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself.” Jesus Christ it felt like an interview suddenly. Keith’s eyes were trained on him with curiosity being the only readable emotion in them. 

“Well, my name is Lance McClain. I’m 27 years old. I’m from Arizona but my family is from Cuba. I’ve lived in the city for only a couple years.” He stared down at his almost empty cup. This was really feeling like an interview now. 

“Cuba? Do you speak spanish?” 

A small weight settled in his chest. “No uh, actually, I never got around to learning to speak fluently. I know about as much as any kid in Spanish 3 in high school.” 

“Ah I see.” 

“What about you? Where is the mysterious Keith from?”

“I’m originally from texas. But my second year of High School I moved to Nevada. Lived there up until about three years ago. I’m 26 years old.” His face was, again, a blank slate of emotion. 

“Nice.” The atmosphere got a bit heavy after that. He didn’t know this guy. What was he supposed to talk to him about? “Okay I know you want to ask why I was on the railing of the bridge so go ahead.” 

Keith looked a little surprised at that. “Actually I wasn’t. You don’t seem ready to talk about that yet so I’m just going to ask you later.”

“Later?” What did that mean?

“Well you said you don’t have anywhere to go right? I’m not going to kick you back out onto the streets. You’re going to stay here for now.” He sounded determined. Like there would be no room for arguments. 

“I-I don’t have a job! I can’t help you pay rent.” This was too much. Keith still looked unamused. 

“That’s fine. I make plenty of money. I’ve lived alone for a long time dude.” 

“You sound like a sugar daddy.” Keith actually chuckled at that. 

“Back on topic. You’re going to stay here until you really decide to get back out there. Alright?”  
“Alright fine.” Lance sighed. It didn’t seem so bad, but he had to be dramatic. 

“Before you decide to stay, there are two things you should probably know about me.” That’s the first time Keith actually sounded nervous. 

“Shoot.”

“One; I smoke weed so if you’re against that we might have a problem. Two; I’m gay.” His face was so deadpan Lance would have laughed had he not seemed so serious. 

“I’m chill with weed dude. College definitely was an experience.” Keith snorted a bit. “Don’t worry about the gay thing I’m actually bisexual.” 

Keith looked, once again, a bit shocked at that. It was so quick though. One blinked and it’d be missed. “Heh, small world then I guess.” After that he stood up and headed for the bathroom, presumably to take a shower. 

After that whole debacle, Lance moved to set the pull out bed back into a couch. He crossed the room to set his mug in the sink like the night before. As he went back to the couch to get comfortable he thought about why Keith would do something like this. He hardly even knew anything about him. He found Lance on a bridge about to jump for Christ’s sake. Maybe he thought of Lance as a charity case? That didn’t sound right. What did Keith gain from this?

He’d have to ask him about it later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why is Keith doing this? Can't wait to hear why. Kudos are very appreciated! Thanks for reading and stick around for the next chapter!


	3. Instant Noodles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith sits down to chat with Lance to try and get to know his new roommate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry guys its been literally over a year since i updated this. But! It is not abandoned! I've had this draft sitting in my google docs for month and have slowly been adding to try and work through my severe writers block and alas! I have finished the third chapter! SO enjoy this 1k word dump I've tried to get out for the past year. I'm hoping to actually crank out another chapter ASAP while my mind is flowing as an apology for the seriously long wait. ALSO! If you haven't noticed I changed the tags. When I started this fic I was not in a good place, and while my feelings regarding suicide then are still the same now, my feelings towards relationships and leaving people has changed significantly so I am no longer killing off our favorite blue boy at the end of this fic as a form of symbolism. So please enjoy their blossoming relationship and while I will still touch on the idea of possible suicides there will be no Major Character Deaths. Thank you for your extreme patience!

After about thirty minutes, Keith appeared back from the bathroom. His hair was damp and there were a few drops of water around the collar of his shirt. 

“I’ve got work at seven-thirty so we can spend the day together if you’re comfortable with that.” God this guy was blunt. It’s like a conversation never truly ended. 

“Sure, I guess. That’d be cool.” Lance crossed his arms across his body, leaning back more into the cushion of the couch.

“So since you’re going to stay here for a bit I want to talk about sleeping arrangements. I don’t have a spare bedroom.” He had a sorry look on his face. His shoulders were tense. It was a confession hung awkwardly in the air between them. 

“I’m alright with the sofa couch. This is better than being on the street by a long shot so I’m not really complaining.” Lance chuckled, but it sounded a little more strained than necessary. 

Keith looked him in the eye with a bit of curiosity. “Are you sure? It’s not that comfortable.” He said while gesturing to the couch.

“Really dude. This is just fine.” Lance wasn’t an asshole, okay? He wasn’t going to take Keith’s bed when he was a guest for who knows how long? Any other implications that could have been made were out of the question. This guy was still practically a stranger, no way in hell was he sharing a bed with someone. 

“Okay, fair enough. Do you know how to cook?” 

Lance nodded slightly. “Yeah a bit. I know enough to not live on noodles.” 

Keith laughed a bit at that statement. “Alright awesome. This is going to work out pretty well then because I’m getting a little tired of noodles.” That explained the lack of mess in the kitchen. No real cooking equates to no real mess of dishes and countertops.

Silence fell into the room again, but this time it was left on a good note. The atmosphere leveled out a bit from that awkward phase it seemed to like so much lately. Lance glanced over at the front door. There was a pair of dark shaded boots and a pair of red converse accompanied by his own pair of sneakers. 

Looking around the room, Lance noticed that it didn’t seem all that personalized. One might come to believe Keith had just moved in or something. The apartment itself seemed kind of nice though. How much did Keith even make if he could afford to live alone like this?

“Hey-uh… what do you do for a living?” Lance said a little awkwardly.

Keith looked up from where he was staring at the coffee table and his clean stare bore right into him. “I work as a bartender at a club.”

Lance blinked at that. A bartender? “And you can afford a place like this?” He asked with a bit of skepticism. 

Keith chuckled at that. “I mean yeah, it’s a pretty nice club. Nice clubs means nice cash.”

Lance could really picture a nice club, considering his lack of money meant lack of experience in clubbing, but took his word for it anyway. 

“Oh.” He murmured a little dumbly, shrinking back into the couch. 

Sensing a bit of a lull in the conversation, Keith walked over and plopped down onto the couch next to Lance, causing a small "oof" to sound from the latter. 

"So since you're going to be crashing for a bit, why don't we get to know each other a bit more?" he suggested, with a bit of a smirk on his face. 

Lance glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "Another interview?" he joked. 

Rolling his eyes, Keith huffed, "No I mean more of a get-to-know-you kind of questionnaire. Like…. what did you want to be growing up?"

Lance looked at him with a bit of disbelief. "Seriously?"

"It's a genuine question, plus dreams often show a lot about a person." He said with feigned offense. 

It was Lance's turn to roll his eyes. "Fine okay, I wanted to be an astronaut." he said, waiting for the inevitable laugh that always came with this admittance. 

But when he looked up, all he saw was Keith giving him a small smile. "How weird, I actually wanted to be an astronaut myself."

"No way, you're pulling my leg aren't you? Haha very funny Keith." Lance said with a strained laugh and a lot of glaring. 

Keith glared back. "I'm not lying, Lance. I wanted to get a bachelor's degree in biological science but college ended up not being for me. So I flunked out and now I'm a bartender. Why didn't you become an astronaut?"

Lance froze at that, but with a bit of reluctance he admitted "My grades took a bit of a drop in high school, and when it came down to it, I realized early on colleges didn't want an idiot trying to major in astrophysics. So instead I tried to apply for hospitality management, but even though my grades cut it for that program, I ended up not having enough money to go to college."

The atmosphere dropped a bit after all of that. As Keith processed the new information, he realized where some of Lance's problems might have started. He was a kind guy with big dreams, and even when they dreams seemed out of reached he tried to settle for a lot less and still came up short. Life just decided to not be kind to this man. 

"Well," Keith started, "I can't tell you anything that'll probably make you feel better but-"

"-awesome-"

"-but I can tell you that life can be like that, and just because life decides to be cruel to you doesn't mean you've done anything wrong. Some of the greatest people have the whole world turned against them at times, and going through the motions isn't an easy feat, but you're not the worlds biggest failure because things just didn't work out."

Lance stared at Keith with a watery look in his eyes and his brows pinched together with a small pout on his lips. 

"You lied" He said with a bit of a whine in his voice.

Keith looked at him with an eyebrow quirked. "I lied? How did I lie?" he asked with a bit exasperation. 

Lance threw his head onto the back of the couch with a bit of a dramatic cry as he said, "You said you couldn't tell me anything that would make me feel better, but no one has cheered me up that quickly in a long time."

While Keith was a little taken back with his sincerity, and the long time comment, he gave a shy smile and a small chuckle at Lance's small confession. 

"My bad," he mumbled as Lance continued to dramatically lean back into the couch.

Watching Lance groan into the couch with a reluctant smile brought a small grin to Keith's face. Without really wanting to acknowledge such a thought, Keith realized Lance was pretty cute when he smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy Keith your gay is peeking through! Hopefully I'll be able to write this in the happier, fluffier tone now that my writing has progressed in the past year. Get-to-know-you questionnaire continues in the next chapter!


End file.
